Do Dubai developers hand over on time? What the DLD register shows

Most off-plan buyers in Dubai ask the same question before they book: will the home be ready on the date in the brochure? The Dubai Land Department (DLD) publishes a register of every off-plan project, with its start date, its completion date and how far construction has gone. We read that register as it stood on 12 June 2026. This article shows what it says, where it can mislead you, and what the law and your contract say when a project runs late.

This is general information, not financial or legal advice.

The short answer

Most projects do get finished, but many finish later than buyers first expected. Two numbers from the register tell different stories:

• Finished projects look punctual. Of 1,436 finished projects with both dates recorded, 1,338 (93%) were completed in or before the month of their registered completion date.
• Active projects tell you more. Of 865 active projects, 275 (32%) had a registered completion date that had already passed on 12 June 2026. Their median reported progress was 59%.

The second number is the better signal. The next section explains why.

Why "93% on time" overstates punctuality

The completion date in the DLD register is the date that is approved now. When a developer gets an extension, the register shows the new date, not the first one. So a project that was sold with a 2024 date, extended twice and finished in 2026 can still appear "on time" against its final registered date.

Your sale and purchase agreement (SPA) has its own date, and that is the date that matters to you. The register cannot tell you how far a finished project ran past the date its first buyers signed for.

Active projects whose registered date has already passed are a cleaner measure. Even after any extensions, they have not finished. Here is how far past the date they were on 12 June 2026:

How far past the registered date	Active projects
Less than 1 year	198
1 to 2 years	48
More than 2 years	29
Total	275 of 865

Some of these are close to the end: 45 of the 275 reported 90% or more. Others are far from it: 52 reported less than 30%.

How long projects take to build

For projects finished since 2022, the median time from the registered start date to completion was about 39 months. The middle half took between 26 and 60 months. For projects still active, the median planned time between start and registered completion was about 34 months.

So a plan that promises keys in two and a half years from launch is on the short side of what the register shows. A tall tower, or a large villa community built in phases, often takes longer.

The record by developer

The table below groups projects by developer name in the DLD register. It covers the developers our buyers ask about most. Read the notes under it before you compare rows.

Developer	Finished projects in the register	Finished in or before the registered month	Active projects	Active, past registered date	Median progress of those past date
Emaar	109	102	49	6	83%
DAMAC	93	86	21	4	47%
Azizi	84	72	29	12	48%
Binghatti	30	29	16	9	30%
Sobha	18	17	18	0	n/a
Danube	17	17	17	4	62%
Ellington	16	15	14	3	36%
Samana	4	4	28	8	49%
All developers	1,436	1,338	865	275	59%

How to read it:

• Company names vary. The DLD lists projects under the legal company that registered them. We matched names that contain the brand, for example 18 different company names for DAMAC and 10 for Ellington. Projects held by a joint venture or an entity with another name are not in these rows.
• Small numbers swing. Samana has 4 finished projects in the register, so one late project would change its picture a lot.
• Past the date is not the same as stalled. Most of these projects are less than a year past their registered date, and some are weeks from completion. Of the developers above, only Emaar, DAMAC, Azizi, Danube and Samana had any active project more than a year past its registered date (3, 4, 3, 1 and 2 projects).
• The register is a snapshot. It is the register as of 12 June 2026. Projects finish and dates change every month.

We do not rank developers as good or bad from these rows. They show one thing: how many projects are running past the date the DLD has on file today. Look at the specific project you want, not only the brand.

What your contract says about delays

The SPA is the main document. Read these clauses before you pay the booking amount:

• The completion date. Some SPAs give a month, some a quarter, some a range.
• The grace period. Many SPAs let the developer finish later than the stated date without any penalty, often by up to 12 months (dubizzle, checked 5 November 2026). Your SPA may say more or less.
• Force majeure. The implementing rules of the off-plan law list reasons beyond a developer's control, such as government decisions that stop the work (Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010, Article 21). SPAs often add their own list.
• Compensation. Some SPAs set a fixed amount per month of delay after the grace period. Many set none, and then only a court can decide.
• Your right to cancel. Check if the SPA lets you end the contract after a long delay, and how the refund works.

What the law says

• Payments follow construction. The DLD says that when a developer asks for an instalment, you can ask for a letter from the project's approved consultant confirming the stage, and you do not have to pay unless the project has reached it (DLD FAQ, checked 5 November 2026). Most plans tie construction instalments to stages, so a slow project also slows what you pay.
• The money stays in escrow. Your payments go into the project's escrow account, which can be used only for the construction of that project (Law No. 8 of 2007, Article 9). See how escrow protects your money.
• RERA can cancel a project. The Real Estate Regulatory Agency can cancel a project if, for example, the developer does not start building without a valid reason, shows no real intention to build, or is declared bankrupt (Resolution No. 6 of 2010, Article 23). The escrow bank is then asked to refund buyers within 14 days. If the escrow money is not enough, the developer must pay the rest within 60 days, which RERA can extend (Articles 25 and 26). Cases from cancelled projects go to a special tribunal for cancelled projects (Khaleej Times, 22 January 2025).
• A late project is not a cancelled project. Cancellation is rare and is for projects that are not going ahead. A project that is late but being built is a contract matter between you and the developer.

We did not find any new Dubai rule from 2021 to 2026 that sets a standard compensation for late handover. If a broker tells you there is one, ask for the law's number.

What you can do if your project is late

1. Check the facts. Look up the project's progress and registered date (steps below). Compare them with your SPA.
2. Write to the developer. Ask for the new expected date in writing, the reason, and the latest consultant progress report.
3. Ask for the escrow details. The escrow bank and account number should be on the developer's payment requests, and the account number is in the Dubai REST app. You can see your own payment records in the escrow account (Law No. 8 of 2007, Article 12).
4. Get an official progress report if you need one. The DLD says an investor can ask RERA's technical auditor for a report on a unit's completion, for a fee of about AED 15,000 (DLD FAQ).
5. Try a settlement. The DLD can help both sides reach an amicable settlement. Its FAQ also says it cannot end your contract with the developer, and that complaints about compensation and refunds are outside its remit. Khaleej Times described the DLD complaint as a first step that can lead to a binding settlement (Khaleej Times, 8 December 2024). The two descriptions differ, so ask the DLD what it can do in your case.
6. Go to court. To claim compensation or to end the contract, you file a case at the Dubai Courts. Get advice from a UAE-licensed property lawyer first.

How to check any project yourself

1. Open the Dubai REST app or the DLD website and use Project Status Enquiry (in the app, search "Project Status"). You can search by project name, project number or land number (DLD, checked 5 November 2026). You can also ask the DLD's WhatsApp assistant on 8004488.
2. Note the completion percentage, the start date and the expected completion date.
3. Compare the completion date with the date in the brochure and the SPA. If the developer promises keys sooner than the register's date, ask why.
4. Look at the developer's other projects in the register: how many are past their date, and by how much.
5. Check the escrow bank and account number shown for the project. Pay only into that account.

On our site, every project page shows the handover date the developer gives us. Compare it with the register before you book. You can also search projects and read each developer's profile.

Before you book

• Plan your money for a handover 6 to 12 months later than the brochure date. Late keys mean more months of rent where you live now, or more months without rental income.
• Prefer plans that tie construction payments to stages, not to calendar dates. See payment plans explained.
• If you need the home by a fixed date, for a move or a visa, consider a project that is already well advanced, or a ready home. See off-plan vs ready.

For the full buying process, read buying off-plan in Dubai.

Sources

• Law No. 8 of 2007 concerning escrow accounts for real estate development in Dubai, Dubai Legislation Portal, checked 5 November 2026: dlp.dubai.gov.ae
• Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010, implementing bylaw of Law No. 13 of 2008, checked 5 November 2026: dlp.dubai.gov.ae
• Dubai Land Department, frequently asked questions, checked 5 November 2026: dubailand.gov.ae
• Dubai Land Department, Project Status Enquiry service, checked 5 November 2026: dubailand.gov.ae
• Khaleej Times, buyer's rights when handover is delayed, 8 December 2024: khaleejtimes.com
• Khaleej Times, refunds when a project is cancelled, updated 22 January 2025: khaleejtimes.com
• dubizzle, handling a delayed off-plan handover, checked 5 November 2026: dubizzle.com
• Our analysis of the DLD project register as of 12 June 2026 (DLD open data). These are our own counts, not official DLD statistics.